Stage 32 + Vail Film Festival Present: Women in Film - Personal Stories

Hosted by Top Female Filmmakers

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Top Female Filmmakers

Webinar hosted by: Top Female Filmmakers

Meet the Panelists of Women in Film: Personal Stories Lesley-Ann Brandt - Actor, Producer Actor: Netflix's LUCIFER South African born actress, activist and supermom Lesley-Ann Brandt stars on Netflix’s global hit series LUCIFER and had a breakout role on the Starz hits, SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND and SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA. Brandt's other credits include the film DRIFT opposite Sam Worthington, Fox's GOTHAM and the dark comedy, KILLING WINSTON JONES starring opposite Richard Dreyfuss, Danny Glover and Jon Heder. Alexandra Barreto - Producer, Director, Actor Filmmaker: LADY HATER (Tribeca Film Festival), TOO LATE (Robert Forster & John Hawkes) Actor: THE FOSTERS Alexandra's directorial debut, LADY HATER, premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival. The Audible Original Series she directed stars Meg Ryan, Rachel Bloom, and Sam Richardson, and her film TOO LATE starred Oscar nominees John Hawkes and Robert Forster. As an actor, she is best known for her five-year run on THE FOSTERS. She currently can be seen on the FX hit MAYANS MC.   Robin Bronk - Producer Producer: POLIWOOD (Barry Levinson) Robin Bronk is the CEO of The Creative Coalition, the leading nonprofit arm of the entertainment industry. Ms. Bronk produced the feature film, POLIWOOD, directed by Academy Award-winner Barry Levinson, and executive produced Before You Know It, starring Alec Baldwin, Mandy Patinkin and Judith Light. Ms. Bronk speaks at colleges and universities as well as the Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, and Tribeca film festivals and serves on the New York Cultural Task Force, as well as the boards of The White House Project and The Close Up Foundation, and is a member of the Public Relations Society of America and Women of Washington. Leslie Alejandro - Director, Filmmaker, Celebrity/Fashion Photographer, Activist Filmmaker: SMILE (Dances with Wolves Film Festival)   Leslie premiered her first horror short SMILE at Dances with the Wolves Film Festival in 2019. She was previously partner and executive editor of a fashion magazine. Her work has been featured in Vanity Fair, GQ, Vogue, Glamour, Men’s Health, The Wrap and more. As activist she has been a member of the Human Rights Campaign for more than a decade and actively campaigns for the inclusion and visibility of people of color “above and below the line” in the entertainment industry. Mali Elfman - Producer Producer: THE PARTY'S JUST BEGINNING, written, directed by, and starring Karen Gillan (JUMANJI, AVENGERS, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY) Mali Elfman is a prolific producer of feature, short form, and episodic content. She recently produced THE PARTY'S JUST BEGINNING, written, directed by, and starring Karen Gillan (JUMANJI, AVENGERS, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY). Ashleigh Snead - Producer Producer: THE RANGER (SXSW), SCARE PACKAGE, THE PALE DOOR Ashleigh has years of business and production experience, both in and out of the film industry. With an MBA from NYU and an entrepreneurial spirit she launched two successful children’s clothes companies before making the switch to film. She has worked as a producer on eight feature films, including the 2018 SXSW punk rock horror hit, THE RANGER, Shudder's summer 2020 horror/comedy anthology release, SCARE PACKAGE, and witchy western THE PALE DOOR coming to theaters this Fall. Your Moderator: Amanda Toney - Producer & Managing Director at Stage 32 As Managing Director for Stage 32, Amanda oversees operations and business development for the global business. She has curated over 1,200 hours of online education created exclusively for Stage 32, and works with hundreds of entertainment industry executives from around the world to serve as educators and mentors. She has spearheaded partnerships with such prestigious organizations as the Cannes Film Festival Marché du Film, American Film Market, SXSW, Austin Film Festival, Raindance Film Festival, Hollyshorts Film Festival, PGA, WGA and DGA, as well as brands such as AT&T, Peerspace, Pond5, Mandy, Bondit Media Capital and her personal favorite partnership, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, which is the official vodka of Stage 32. As a producer, Amanda has worked on the psychological thriller What Lies Ahead starring Rumer Willis and Emma Dumont; Chick Fight, starring Malin Akerman, Alec Baldwin and Bella Thorne, Metaphorms, a Hungarian film, which premiered at the Raindance Film Festival and Dolphin Girl, an entire Stage 32 production in conjunction with the St. Petersburg Film Commission. She recently sold an unscripted show to a major US network. Amanda has spoken all over the world at the Cannes Film Festival (France), Hollyshorts Film Festival (US), Raindance Film Festival (UK), Hamburg Film Fest (Germany), Trinidad & Tobago Film Commission (Trinidad), Fest Festival (Portugal) and Harvard (US) on the business of the entertainment industry. Full Bio »

Webinar Summary

Stage 32 and Vail Film Festival have joined forces to bring you an exclusive FREE virtual Q&A with top female filmmakers from the festival! Now, no matter where you live in the world you can tune in!

The 2020 Vail Film Festival took place online from May 15-17, and had a special focus on female filmmakers. In addition to film screenings, the festival included filmmaker Q&A sessions, a filmmaking workshop, and a women in film panel discussion featuring leading female producers, actors, and directors. The 2020 film program will showcase narrative features, documentaries, short films, and student films. This year's lineup includes films starring Simon Pegg, Annette Bening, Juno Temple, Alexandra Daddario, Wendie Malick, Danny Trejo, Maggie Siff, Sabrina Carpenter, Natalie Zea, Jay Mohr, Jason Ritter, Kristen Vangsness, Rose McIver, and more.

The lineup for the 2020 Vail Film Festival is unparalleled, and we encourage Stage 32 members to attend the virtual festival and support their fellow filmmakers. As part of our partnership, Vail Film Festival is offering Stage 32 members an exclusive 25% off discount on all-access passes to the online festival. Stage 32 members can use the code stage32 at checkout. For more info and to purchase a pass to the online Vail Film Festival please visit: www.vailfilmfestival.com


What You'll Learn

As part of our partnership, we are incredibly excited to host a FREE virtual panel alongside Vail Film Festival entitled "Women in Film: Personal Stories" - now available on demand. The discussion focuses on the panelist's personal filmmaking journeys. They talk about the lessons they've learned and share tips they've picked up from their experience in the film industry. The panel features seven powerhouse female voices of entertainment, including:

  • Lesley-Ann Brandt - Actor, Producer (LUCIFER, SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND, SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA)
  • Alexandra Barreto - Producer, Director, Actor (THE FOSTERS, MAYANS MC)
  • Robin Bronk - Producer (POLIWOOD, directed by Academy Award-winner Barry Levinson, BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, starring Alec Baldwin, Mandy Patinkin, & Judith Light)
  • Leslie Alejandro - Director, Filmmaker, Celebrity/Fashion Photographer, Activist (Leslie's work has been featured in Vanity Fair, GQ, Vogue, Glamour, Men’s Health, The Wrap and more)
  • Mali Elfman - Producer (THE PARTY'S JUST BEGINNING, written, directed by, and starring Karen Gillan)
  • Ashleigh Snead - Producer (THE RANGER, SCARE PACKAGE, THE PALE DOOR

Moderated by our very own Amanda Toney - Producer & Managing Director, Stage 32 (WHAT LIES AHEAD starring Rumer Willis and Emma Dumont)

About Your Instructor

Meet the Panelists of Women in Film: Personal Stories

Lesley-Ann Brandt - Actor, Producer

Actor: Netflix's LUCIFER

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT Stage 32 is the Official Networking Education Partner of Vail Film Festival

South African born actress, activist and supermom Lesley-Ann Brandt stars on Netflix’s global hit series LUCIFER and had a breakout role on the Starz hits, SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND and SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA. Brandt's other credits include the film DRIFT opposite Sam Worthington, Fox's GOTHAM and the dark comedy, KILLING WINSTON JONES starring opposite Richard Dreyfuss, Danny Glover and Jon Heder.

Alexandra Barreto - Producer, Director, Actor

Filmmaker: LADY HATER (Tribeca Film Festival), TOO LATE (Robert Forster & John Hawkes)

Actor: THE FOSTERS

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT Stage 32 is the Official Networking Education Partner of Vail Film Festival

Alexandra's directorial debut, LADY HATER, premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival. The Audible Original Series she directed stars Meg Ryan, Rachel Bloom, and Sam Richardson, and her film TOO LATE starred Oscar nominees John Hawkes and Robert Forster. As an actor, she is best known for her five-year run on THE FOSTERS. She currently can be seen on the FX hit MAYANS MC.

 

Robin Bronk - Producer

Producer: POLIWOOD (Barry Levinson)

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT Stage 32 is the Official Networking Education Partner of Vail Film Festival

Robin Bronk is the CEO of The Creative Coalition, the leading nonprofit arm of the entertainment industry. Ms. Bronk produced the feature film, POLIWOOD, directed by Academy Award-winner Barry Levinson, and executive produced Before You Know It, starring Alec Baldwin, Mandy Patinkin and Judith Light. Ms. Bronk speaks at colleges and universities as well as the Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, and Tribeca film festivals and serves on the New York Cultural Task Force, as well as the boards of The White House Project and The Close Up Foundation, and is a member of the Public Relations Society of America and Women of Washington.

Leslie Alejandro - Director, Filmmaker, Celebrity/Fashion Photographer, Activist

Filmmaker: SMILE (Dances with Wolves Film Festival)

 

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT Stage 32 is the Official Networking Education Partner of Vail Film Festival

Leslie premiered her first horror short SMILE at Dances with the Wolves Film Festival in 2019. She was previously partner and executive editor of a fashion magazine. Her work has been featured in Vanity Fair, GQ, Vogue, Glamour, Men’s Health, The Wrap and more. As activist she has been a member of the Human Rights Campaign for more than a decade and actively campaigns for the inclusion and visibility of people of color “above and below the line” in the entertainment industry.

Mali Elfman - Producer

Producer: THE PARTY'S JUST BEGINNING, written, directed by, and starring Karen Gillan (JUMANJI, AVENGERS, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY)

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT Stage 32 is the Official Networking Education Partner of Vail Film Festival

Mali Elfman is a prolific producer of feature, short form, and episodic content. She recently produced THE PARTY'S JUST BEGINNING, written, directed by, and starring Karen Gillan (JUMANJI, AVENGERS, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY).

Ashleigh Snead - Producer

Producer: THE RANGER (SXSW), SCARE PACKAGE, THE PALE DOOR

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT Stage 32 is the Official Networking Education Partner of Vail Film Festival

Ashleigh has years of business and production experience, both in and out of the film industry. With an MBA from NYU and an entrepreneurial spirit she launched two successful children’s clothes companies before making the switch to film. She has worked as a producer on eight feature films, including the 2018 SXSW punk rock horror hit, THE RANGER, Shudder's summer 2020 horror/comedy anthology release, SCARE PACKAGE, and witchy western THE PALE DOOR coming to theaters this Fall.

Your Moderator: Amanda Toney - Producer & Managing Director at Stage 32

As Managing Director for Stage 32, Amanda oversees operations and business development for the global business. She has curated over 1,200 hours of online education created exclusively for Stage 32, and works with hundreds of entertainment industry executives from around the world to serve as educators and mentors. She has spearheaded partnerships with such prestigious organizations as the Cannes Film Festival Marché du Film, American Film Market, SXSW, Austin Film Festival, Raindance Film Festival, Hollyshorts Film Festival, PGA, WGA and DGA, as well as brands such as AT&T, Peerspace, Pond5, Mandy, Bondit Media Capital and her personal favorite partnership, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, which is the official vodka of Stage 32.

As a producer, Amanda has worked on the psychological thriller What Lies Ahead starring Rumer Willis and Emma Dumont; Chick Fight, starring Malin Akerman, Alec Baldwin and Bella Thorne, Metaphorms, a Hungarian film, which premiered at the Raindance Film Festival and Dolphin Girl, an entire Stage 32 production in conjunction with the St. Petersburg Film Commission. She recently sold an unscripted show to a major US network.

Amanda has spoken all over the world at the Cannes Film Festival (France), Hollyshorts Film Festival (US), Raindance Film Festival (UK), Hamburg Film Fest (Germany), Trinidad & Tobago Film Commission (Trinidad), Fest Festival (Portugal) and Harvard (US) on the business of the entertainment industry.

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Learn how to supercharge your screenplays by properly using your "inciting incidents" from a writer/producer who has worked with HBO, Universal, Fox, CBS, and more! PLUS! You will receive exclusive handouts to help you in crafting your own inciting incidents to take your screenwriting to the next level! We all know that moment in our favorite films that hooks us in - the moment the status quo drastically changes for our main characters and propels our protagonists into the heart of the story. This moment is called the “inciting incident” and is arguably the most critical moment in any screenplay. When legendary filmmaker Billy Wilder said about screenwriting "if you have a problem with the third the real problem is in the first act" he was referring to a screenplay's inciting incident.  However, many writers don't maximize the effect of their "inciting incident" properly leading to other issues throughout their scripts.  So what constitutes an inciting incident that supercharges your screenplay and what differentiates it from other major plot points in your story? How can you create a powerful, meaningful and properly placed inciting incident in your story that will set your script apart from the rest and truly engage your reader? In this exclusive Stage 32 webinar, you’ll also learn how to craft a compelling inciting incident for your story that will set your script up for success. Teaching you this key screenwriting fundamental is veteran film and television writer and producer Brian Herskowitz. Brian has worked on over 2 dozen films and television shows (HBO, FOX, CBS, NBC, UNIVERSAL and more) and he's bringing his experience to the Stage 32 community to help you improve your craft!  PLUS! You’ll receive exclusive handouts to help you in creating your inciting incident. Downloads include: Definition of terms Copies of examples from various scripts, including Avatar and Hereditary. Excerpts from the book PROCESS TO PRODUCT: From Concept to Script: A Practical Guide for the Screenwriter. Brian will teach you how to define, set, and make the most of your inciting incident by giving you tools, exercises, and examples to put your script and protagonists on the right path. This webinar will help you take your screenwriting to the next level.  Testimonials for Brian's Teaching and Stage 32 Education “As a collaborator with Brian and a guest in his class, I am hugely impressed with his screenwriting knowledge. I heartily recommend him and his course.” -- Jason Alexander (Seinfeld, Pretty Woman, Listen Up) "I have a master's degree and a doctorate, Brian is by far the most caring and best teacher I have ever had." -- Alan J. "The course was everything I needed and then some. An excellent course." -- Katie R. "Mr. Herskowitz is very knowledgeable, patient, and superb at discerning problems and helping us solve them." -- Sandra O. "A solid course in which I felt I had learned a LOT by the time it was over." -- Peter L.  

Step By Step Producing Guide: Find Money, Find Your Team, & Close the Deal

AN IN-DEPTH THREE-PART CLASS (OVER 6 HOURS OF EDUCATION)!   The detailed steps you need to get your project made - taught by a producer with over 70 projects produced. As a producer, it’s your job to get a film up and running and to put the pieces in place so cameras can start shooting and something fantastic can actually get made. You might already have a great script that you feel is ready to shoot, but especially for newer filmmakers and producers, the next steps you need to take can feel uncertain. Where are you going to get the money, and how much money do you actually need? Who’s going to direct, who’s going to star, and how can you get each player on board? What materials do you need to prepare ahead of time, and how can you use the connections you have (or make new connections you need) to get what you need going? The path from script to production can feel big, vague, and intimidating, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it, especially with the right guidance and understanding. Michael Wormser is featured as a "Go-To Producer" by Produced By Magazine and has produced features for Legendary, Lakeshore Entertainment, Netflix, and IFC Films, as well as series for Fox Television Studios, Hulu, FreeForm, Netflix, and 20th Century Digital. Michael’s long, long list of completed projects attests to his honed ability to get projects off the ground, an important talent for any producer and one he is excited to share with the Stage 32 community. In this three-part on-demand class, Michael offers you a comprehensive and intensely helpful guide to the steps you need to take to actually get your project made by using your connections, finding the money, building your team, and closing the deals. He will focus on the steps you should take before “going out” with your script, including beta-testing your script, putting together your materials like lookbooks, budgets, and shooting schedules, and how to package your project. Then Michael will lay out how to actually “go out” with your project, including how to pitch, how to build your network, and how to actually close the deal.    PRAISE FROM MICHAEL'S TEACHINGS AT STAGE 32: No matter how experienced you are, getting your passion project made is within your reach. Whether you’re a brand new producer or someone with more experience looking for a refresher or new perspective, Michael will give you the tools you need.  

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